Lakshmi Mittal flies to Chandigarh as ArcelorMittal expands India mining

Lakshmi Mittal flew from Nice to Chandigarh on the night of May 28, landing in Punjab at dawn local time aboard his Bombardier Global 7500, registration G-LOBX. The 6-hour 50-minute trip from the French Riviera put the executive chairman of ArcelorMittal in the capital of the state of Punjab and Haryana.

The same week, per a report in The Hindu Business Line on May 26, ArcelorMittal's joint venture with Nippon Steel secured final environmental clearance for a $1.2 billion integrated steel plant in the village of Dullarpur, roughly 90 km from Chandigarh. The project, expected to produce 3.7 million tonnes annually, represents the company's largest single Indian investment. Chandigarh serves as the administrative hub for the state-level regulatory meetings required to finalise land acquisition and water rights for the site.

Mittal's recent flight pattern—a short hop from London to Nice the previous day, then onward to India—suggests a working trip via his Mediterranean base. Since shifting his tax residence to Switzerland in 2024, he has maintained Geneva as his primary departure point but continues to oversee ArcelorMittal's Asian expansion from the air, with Mumbai and now Chandigarh appearing on his flight log this spring.